And while Filipovic hinted at the move prior to this past weekend’s UFC 137 event, many fans and pundits wondered aloud of a win would have kept the Croatian striker in the game.

According to veteran cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran, it likely wouldn’t have made a difference. Duran said Filipovic’s decision had already been made.

“I was at the weigh-ins, and when I saw ‘Cro Cop,’ he came up to me – the ‘Cro Cop’ I was never used to seeing in Japan, where he never spoke to anybody – he comes up and gives me a hug,” Duran today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “The first thing he asks me is, ‘Are you going to be able wrap my hands?’ Then he tells me, ‘This is going to be my last fight.’

“I said, ‘Oh, absolutely – especially if this is going to be your last fight. It’s going to be a big honor for me to say I went in there and wrapped your hands.'”

Filipovic, who prior to the UFC 137 bout admitted that he will always be disappointed in his subpar UFC career, was looking to snap a two-fight slide that included losses to Brendan Schaub and Frank Mir. And while he did have a few impressive moments during the bout, Filipovic was eventually staggered and dropped in the third round by Nelson, who then pounded his way to a TKO finish.

Duran, who did end up wrapping Filipovic’s hands for the bout, said “Cro Cop” knew as he entered the cage it would be for the final time.

“I got into the dressing room, and I got in there a little bit earlier than normal to wrap their hands,” Duran said. “‘Cro Cop’ and I literally sat there for a good five minutes and just chatted. It’s something I never really have had – and probably a lot of people haven’t had – the opportunity to do.

“The first thing I asked him is, ‘What are you going to do when you retire?’ He says, ‘Spend my money.’ Then he turns his chair around, and we’re making eye contact and talking, and he says, ‘You know, ‘Stitch,’ I’m tired. Today is 20 years from the time that I had my first fight. My body is beat up. I’ve had six surgeries. I got cut six weeks ago in training. I’m tired.'”

Filipovic made his UFC debut in February 2007 on the heels of a tournament victory in PRIDE’s 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix. He would leave the UFC after just three fights but then returned to the promotion a short time later.

Duran was first introduced to Filipovic in October 2004, when he traveled with Josh Barnett to Japan for a PRIDE 28 matchup. At the time, Filipovic had a reputation for being cold and difficult to deal with. That cantankerous nature changed over time, and “Cro Cop” was actually quite jovial with the media in his final few press conferences. Nevertheless, Duran said his pre-fight chat with the Croatian veteran was a unique and special moment he won’t soon forget.

“The thing that really got me, ironically, was he said, ‘I’ve been all over the world, but I’ve never seen anything because I’m always in my hotel room, locked down, or I’m always in the gym. When I’m training, everything is just training, training, training. It’s time for me to spend time with my family and rest,'” Duran said. “That came straight from his heart to me. I thought that was very sincere, and I was glad to be a part of that.”

For full coverage of UFC 137, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.
(Pictured: Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic)

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